fitness, health & fashion by model and YouTuber Kirby Anne Akindeinde

For Men

London based mega babe and stylist Kitty Cowell has teamed up with sports and lifestyle brand Mitchell & Ness to design a hat as part of the LUKCY Project (yes, it’s spelt that way on purpose) all in the name of mental health awareness. The project so far consists of two videos showing several individuals who open up about their own personal set backs and how they have worked their butts off in order to ‘create their own luck’.

The first video shows Kitty herself. She expresses her struggles as a child growing up with dyslexia, tackling depression and dealing with endometriosis. Kitty shares how she has overcome setbacks, picked herself up and fought her way to become her own boss as a stylist and lifestyle blogger. You can see the full video below.

The second video, in collaboration with Mitchell & Ness, shows other creatives who talk us through how they have reached success whilst dealing with personal issues. It’s actually pretty emotional and inspiring to say the least. Check it out below!

Kitty has designed a limited edition hat in which their are only 25 of in the whole world! It’s super cute and will be auctioned later this week with all profits going to Mind Charity. Keep an eye out on Kitty’s Instagram (@kittycowell) for full details of the auction. It’s only the beginning for this project but I’m already excited to see more.

When it comes to fitness trackers it can be difficult to know which one to go for and when you do finally choose, it can be even more difficult to work out how to use them most effectively. Luckily, I had Garmin on hand last week showing me just how to navigate the new vivosmart3 and how to get the most out of my workout via the device. We took to Third Space Tower Bridge to take on their Sweat X class and put the vivosmart3 to the test.

Firstly, I have to say a huge well done to Garmin for hosting at such an amazing location. Third Space is a dream and if you haven’t had the chance to go before, I recommend that you do. However, with facilities of such a high standard it’s only right that they have the workouts to match… cue the hardest gym class that I have been to yet.

Before being dragged to hell and back (in a good way, if that’s possible), we were kitted out with brand new vivosmart3 trackers. Extremely lightweight, with a super sleek design, the vivosmart3 is a watch that you can wear everywhere and anywhere, from day to night. It’s slim, discreet and has a hidden display that lights up only when you want it to- how clever- so can literally fit into most outfits helping you to track your activity 24/7. The watch is also good to wear whilst swimming or showering, so there’s no need to worry about it getting wet.

So it looks great and is easily wearable, but what about the features? Along with the usual tracking capabilities of most fitness devices such as step counting, heart rate, distance travelled and calories burnt, the watch has a number of additional features to really get that in-depth insight into your health and daily activity. The vivosmart3 is able to calculate your fitness age, track floors climbed as well as your sleep and even has a stress level indicator. You can see more of what the device has to offer by clicking right here.

We wore our fitness trackers during the entire trip to hell (aka the workout) and competed against each other as to who could burn the most calories by the end of the session. Combining upper and lower body circuits with treadmill running, the class covered both body strength and cardio aspects of training. We ran, lifted, pushed and sweated our way to the finish line to then compare calories burnt. I was sure that I would be up there with my 600+ calories, yet I was up against a tough bunch and the winner came in with over 700 cals burnt! Wowwee.

That wasn’t the end. We then used the rep counting feature to record how many reps of free weight exercises we could complete within 3 minutes. Again, showing us just how the clever features of the vivosmart3 can be used throughout any workout.

After class, we were rewarded with protein smoothies, the satisfaction of completing Sweat X and came away with a whole load of knowledge on just how to get the most out of our fitness trackers. I for one would definitely recommend the vivosmart3. Especially if you’re looking for a watch that can cover all bases and be worn throughout the entire day. Retailing at £129.99, the vivosmart3 is available to buy in three different colourways right now.

Speedo have launched a brand new campaign in the hope to get more people into the water and improve their fitness via the fabulous sport of swimming. #Make1KWet aims to highlight the benefits of the sport and it’s ability to improve performance in other activities such as running.

To celebrate the launch, we headed to the beautiful Canary Riverside Plaza Hotel to pick up our goody bags and then strolled across to Canary Wharf Virgin Active, where we took to the water!

Wearing the latest Speedo kit- a body positioning swimsuit (which I have to say is amazing!) and Biofuse anti fog goggles- we were looking like pros, but could we keep up the pace once in the water?

Expert coach Annie Emmerson led the session whilst Olympic swimmer Florent Manaudou showed us exactly how it should be done with world-class demonstrations. Split into three different groups dependant upon ability, we were in the water for a good 45 minutes following instructions from Annie and putting our bodies to the test.

As a keen runner and admittedly, a not-so-keen swimmer, the session made me realise that I have a long way to go if I want to master the sport of swimming. I learnt through isolation drills that, just like out of the water, my legs are much more powerful than my arms, which could be one downfall in my swimming game. My breathing technique also isn’t the best meaning that there’s plenty of room for improvement.

Honestly, I have never had a desire to swim. From a young age I had to be bribed to go to my swimming classes with the promise of pick’&’mix afterwards. On holiday, I would rather sunbathe than take to the pool and the thought of trekking to a UK pool quite frankly sounded like the worst idea ever. However, I have to say that although I’m not going to be a swimming enthusiast any time soon (although never say never!), I do think that I am now more keen to make improvements and see if it really does have an affect in other areas.

Once dried and fed we were introduced to Game of Thrones actress Nathalie Emmanuel, who is the face of the new Speedo #Make1KWet campaign. Nathalie explained her original swimming fears and her journey to overcome them with the Speedo team. She was sweet, funny and extremely honest- a very likeable character who has made me want to tackle my own swimming insecurities even more.

Overall, I think that #Make1KWet is a brilliant idea- well done, Speedo. It’s refreshing to see a brand pushing people to take note of their health and fitness levels and encouraging more people to move away from their comfort zones.

Now, with my new kit at hand all I need to do is find out the location of my nearest pool…

Last week, I was invited to join team New Balance at their brand new Bicester Village store. Home to many premium and luxury brands, Bicester Village is the destination for anybody searching for quality products at great prices making it an ideal spot for New Balance to make home for their new outlet arrival. As well as being the brand’s most premium outlet store, it is also the first performance sports offering available at Bicester Village, so you can only imagine how excited I was to pay it a visit.

The Store

The boutique sized store fits perfectly with the usual New Balance style and has clearly been designed with much care and thought. It’s clean interior and bright lighting allows for the products to be show-cased to their full potential. There is also a clever use of storage, with hidden drawers holding masses of trainers- ready to try on and buy at the drop of a hat. No waiting around here!

There’s a clear divide between women’s and menswear with each having their own half of the store, so there’s no confusion as to where to head for what. The staff are also amazingly friendly and surprisingly well-knowledged, especially as the store only opened earlier this month.

It’s an intimate setting compared to their recent Oxford Street haven, but means that it only has room for the best products…

The Product

Stocked with the top picks of New Balance product, including premium ranges and limited edition pieces, anyone with a passion for great quality sportswear or athleisure will find themselves in NB paradise. The selection includes sought after ranges such as the ‘Explore the Sea’ pack, the New Balance x Horween Leather and the women’s J.Crew collaboration.

Trainer-wise, you will not be let down. There’s plenty to choose from across both lifestyle and performance for both men and women. Sneakerheads, beware! Although with outlet prices, there’s really no need to hold back.

My Top Picks

As part of the day, I was asked to pick out my favourite pieces… Not. A. Problem!

I have to say, I did spend most of my time running between the New Balance x J.Crew section and the changing rooms with a few cheeky stops by the trainers! Although my usual style is pretty monochrome (all black/no colour whatsoever/maybe some grey), the fit and style of the bright orange and blue set had me swooning and I just had to add it to my shopping bag! I also nabbed the most dreamy drop back vest top, a striped crop and two pairs of black trainers, of which one pair glows in the dark!!

I practically live in sportswear, so loved being able to try on all of the premium activewear pieces- the ideal additions to my athleisure wardrobe.

Decisions, decisions…My athleisure outfit!

With the beautiful Millie Cotton

A huge thank you to New Balance for an amazing day. If you’re a New Balance fan (or even just looking for some quality sportswear that won’t break the bank) then I would definitely recommend a trip to their new store. Enjoy! x

A cheeky snap with the other influencersSassy Kirbs! Not too sure what I was saying here…

John and Joshua, two high spirited brothers who set out with a mission to one day run their own business and boy, have they done just that. Not only are they now owners of their own bagpack company, they have created something completely unique and unseen- theft-proof bags!

When travelling in New York they were constantly being reminded to watch their bags and possessions, setting a paranoia over the whole trip. It was then that they came up with the fabulous idea of a stylish bagpack safe from theives and saw the beginning of High Spirit Bags.

By making one simple amendment to the standard bagpack- having the zip run down the spine of the bag rather than the front- they have upped the game in the bag world and done some good at the same time. Genius! The bags also look super cute and they’re unisex.

It’s not surprising that I’ve worked with the boys before (click here), such energetic, welcoming characters that fully deserve every bit of success that comes their way. I just had to work with them again so was beyond excited when they asked me to feature as this month’s Global Citizen. You can see the full feature and learn a little more about me and the boys by clicking right here. I’m sure you’ll be seeing much more from them very soon.

London Collections Men- the men’s version of London Fashion Week- hit the city this weekend for the second and final time this year. The biannual event held every January and June highlights the growing popularity and importance of men’s fashion- a celebration of the British menswear industry. Myself and my boyfriend, Aaron, headed to some of the shows with Select Model Management to see what’s next for menswear.

I was surprised at just how coherent the shows were, many influenced by world issues and the impact that they have on society. On us. QASIMI did particularly well at communicating this by hosting a digital presentation. Mounted screens showed shocking images of war alongside children viewing the ongoing violence that surrounds them. Other similarities included colour scheme, key items and ummm, sand…

It’s clear that whites, nudes and beiges are going to be a hit. Oh and soft and dirty pinks (yay)! There was a lot of red and orange adding contrast to the otherwise pale colours. Blue and yellow also made the cut. Key items wise we’re talking below-the-knee lightweight tailored jackets, sandals and wide leg pants. It was all very desert I have to say, which brings us on nicely to the sand. Both CMMN SWDN and BERTHOLD had sand on set and QASIMI replaced sand with a sand dune shaped metal structure. Take a look for yourself. Here’s the best of the shows in pictures…

Let’s play a game. I’ll say a string of words, you say what you associate them with. Let’s go…

Headstands, handstands and roly-polies.

Now let me guess, all of the things that you came up with were related to childhood? Either that or the circus! However, if you’d have attended the same class that I did on Saturday then you may have answered slightly differently. That’s right, there’s a new craze about to hit the fitness scene. It’s known as Power of the Body and is led by model, corrective exercise and movement coach (not, I repeat, not fitness trainer), Roger Frampton.

On my first visit to one of Roger’s classes, I had absolutely no idea what to expect. Pre-class I headed over to his Instagram full of videos of impressive body lifts and crazy positions, which surely I wouldn’t have to perform… right?! Think again. We spent the whole class learning how to hold our body weight in the crow position- that’s hands on the floor, knees on elbows and feet off of the ground for anybody that doesn’t know- before falling forward into a roly-poly. Something that I have no doubt the 5 year olds of today can do with ease, I was horrified to find ridiculously hard. Although after much stumbling, squealing and ungraceful flailing, by the end of #TheFramptonMethod session I was roly-poly queen!

I came away from the first class quite baffled, surprisingly intrigued and with a hunger to learn more. Good job Roger invited me down to attend a second class. This time, my crow-pro boyfriend had an invite too… We’re usually quite competitive, but I decided to shy away from any challenges. Who knew what would be in store!

Saturday came around quickly and we turned up eager and ready to roll, only to discover that we would be advancing to headstands, using roly-polies as a warm up! Surprised at how I fell perfectly into a roll and straight up into squat position (woo!) maybe it was time to compete after all. Or perhaps not.

Health blogger and model Rebecca Pearson, demonstrated a shockingly good headstand to which we all then had a go. Unfortunately, mine wasn’t quite as picture perfect (see the dreadful video below). It’s amazing to see what we could do so easily as a child, we are now physically and mentally unable to do with ease. My muscles felt tense, weak, yet not quite ready to quit. Roger focuses on regenerating the body into the form we once all had, using body-weight training consisting of controlled slow movements to get you there. We spent the hour and a half handstanding, squatting, holding painful positions and falling over, but once again, I left feeling fab!

What’s great about Roger’s class is that it hosts a variety of abilities and everybody seems to be good at different parts. You learn how to overcome pain, you’re supposed to fall over and it takes you back to childhood. Oh, and it’s actually really good for your body! All-in-all, it’s a damn good laugh and you feel a great sense of achievement. You can even take your new knowledge home with you to practice as you wish. Although I do kind of feel like my living room has turned into a gymnasium, as my twenty two year old boyfriend tries to master the headstand…